Tobacco Business

[ 88 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ NOVEMBER / DECEMBER | 21 ] TOBACCONIST / ON YOUR SHELF Earlier this year, Michael Herklots revealed his next move in the tobacco industry: He and Brendon Scott were going to launch their own premium cigar and accessory company called Ferio Tego. This came after the news that Nat Sherman International would be shutting down for good after failing to find a new buyer in 2020. Ferio Tego is named after the Herklots family motto that sits below the Herklots family shield on its coat of arms. In addition to releasing its own branded products, Ferio Tego also was able to acquire several brands that were formerly owned and distributed by Nat Sherman International, including Timeless, Metropolitan, Epoca and Ancora, among others. Launching a new company at any time is a challenge, but launching one in the middle of a global pandemic and at a time when the industry continues to struggle to keep up with product demands is even more difficult. Ferio Tego is distributed in the U.S. and its territories by Davidoff of Geneva USA. Dylan Austin, president of Davidoff of Geneva USA, commented on the new distribution partnership with the following statement: “Speaking on behalf of the entire Davidoff of Geneva team, we are excited to begin this journey with Michael and Brendon, along with our trusted business partners in building the Ferio Tego brand in the United States. Together, we will be restoring iconic and long-tenured product lines, along with implementing strong innovation plans for the future. Michael’s history and legacy within the premium cigar industry and our company are well known, therefore his return to working with Davidoff is a natural fit. Our shared legacy aside, Ferio Tego is a great strategic fit for our company with their premium portfolio, which is built by and for true cigar connoisseurs.” After much hype and anticipation, Ferio Tego released its first products earlier this fall. “We have worked very methodically these last several months, carefully considering every decision, ensuring that we are on solid ground before taking another step,” said Brendon Scott, co-owner of Ferio Tego. “We are excited to finally launch Ferio Tego in the U.S. and bring these wonderful new offerings to market. And we are equally excited for the relaunch of Timeless and Metropolitan in the coming months.” The Ferio Tego Elegancia is manufactured in the Dominican Republic by the Quesada family. The blend features an Ecuadorian wrapper, Dominican binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The Ferio Tego Generoso is manufactured in Nicaragua by the Plasencia family. The blend for this cigar features a Honduran shade-grown wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. Both cigars will be packaged in custom 10-count humidors and presented as 6 x 50 Toros. Ferio Tego Elegancia and Generoso will both be released in limited quantities and more widely available in 2022. Each 10-count box of Ferio Tego will have a suggested retail price of $210. “Our 2021 Ferio Tego offerings are quite different from one another in style and pedigree, yet both share a commonality of balance and body,” says Michael Herklots, co-owner of Ferio Tego. “A mild cigar need not be thin on the palate nor flavor deficient, and a bolder cigar does not need to be ferocious and aggressive. We worked very hard together with the factories to achieve a full- bodied mouth feel and presence across both blends in order to establish a ‘house style’ so to speak, while still preserving the elegant expression of creamier, brighter notes of Elegancia, and the generous presentation of dense, savory notes of Generoso. Both blends stand on their own, much the way a winery offers a Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon together.” In addition to Ferio Tego’s own branded products, the company also has re-released the Timeless Collection, a brand previously owned and distributed by Nat Sherman International. The Timeless Collection is manufactured in the Dominican Republic by Quesada Cigars. Timeless Prestige first debuted back in 2013 and was marketed as a cigar that was a “return to elegance,” while most of the cigars on the market during that time were more aggressive in strength and flavor and also larger in size. The Timeless Sterling features Dominican fillers and binder tobaccos and an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. It will come in 10-count boxes and be presented in five different sizes: Churchill (7 x 48, $14.50), Corona Gorda (5 ¾ x 46, $13.50), Robusto (4 ¾ x 50, $13.00), Dalias (6 ½ x 43, $12.75) and Marevas (5 ½ x 42, $11.50). Timeless Prestige, which first appeared in 2012, features tobaccos from three different countries. It has a Hondruan wrapper, a Dominican-grown binder and filler tobaccos from both the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. It will come packaged in 20-count boxes and will be available in five different sizes: Gordo (6 x 60, $12), No. 2 Torpedo (6 ¼ x 52, $11.50), Churchill (7 x 48, $11), Hermoso (5 ½ x 54, $10.50) and Robusto (4 ¾ x 50, $9.50). FERIO TEGO